Rooted Wisdom: Nature’s Role in the Underground Railroad

DIRECTOR: Lauren Giordano, George Burroughs

PRODUCER: Adkins Arboretum, Schoolhouse Farmhouse Studio, The Menare Foundation

SYNOPSIS: Historian Anthony Cohen guides a journey through Adkins Arboretum, revealing how self-liberators used knowledge of nature to find freedom.

Anthony Cohen is a historian who retraced 1200 miles of Underground Railroad history by foot, boat, and rail. As founder and president of The Menare Foundation, Inc.—a nonprofit dedicated to preserving UGRR history—Cohen creates immersive educational programs that use history as a spark for community revitalization, race dialogue and human potential.    

Lauren Giordano and George Burroughs operate Schoolhouse Farmhouse, a creative studio focused on exploring humans’ relationship with the world around them. As directors of Beech Works, a nonprofit dedicated to thought-provoking documentary and narrative films, they work to broaden discourse and advance education on social issues.

Release Year: 2022

TRT (Total Running Time): 25:27 seconds